Chick'n Veggie Quesadillas ★★★1/2

★★★1/2

Had these for dinner last night with my fiance. He also made one for himself with real chicken because he's not a fan of Lightlife's Chick'n strips texture. I'm determined to find chick'n that he DOES like. We are both picky about soy cheez, they're definitely not ALL good. Galaxy makes very yummy pepper jack soy cheese - it's good melted or right off the block. Tonight's meal is going to be made by someone else since J and I will be having dinner at a new vegetarian restaurant to celebrate my birthday.

Chick'n Veggie Quesadillas

Chick'n strips (I use Lighlife)

1 C shredded pepper jack cheez

4 whole wheat flour tortillas (small)

red & green peppers

onions

mushrooms

seasonings (cayenne pepper, chili powder, cilantro)

1. Sautee onions, peppers, mushrooms in water or light oil

2. Add chick'n and seasonings; cook until warm

3. Add even amounts to one side of one tortilla in a skillet and then top with cheese; fold over

4. Cook one side until slighlty crispy and golden brown; flip and cook other side

Serves 4

*Next time I'll be sure to buy some vegan sour cream to go with them. Yum!

Vegan Peanut Butter Cups ★★★★

★★★★

These chocolatey (not) things were one of the first vegan recipes I tried out because I need a very convincing alternative to living without Reese's PB Cups. I used Alecia Silvertsone's recipe which I first read in the November 2009 issue of Women's Health magazine. It seems to be everywhere now; in her new book, "The Kind Diet", on The View and various other websites.

I used Smart Balance instead of Earth Balance; they are both Vegan friendly, but Smart Balance has less fat, calories, and sodium... and it's generally less expensive. I also didn't add the nuts on top for 2 reasons a) I didn't have any b) I don't like raw nuts much - but my cups probably would've looked more visually appealing if I had added nuts on top.


Alicia's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

1/2 c Earth Balance natural spread (dairy-free butter)
3/4 c crunchy peanut butter (preferably natural, unsweetened, and unsalted)
3/4 c graham cracker crumbs or 10 graham cracker squares, crushed
1/4 c maple sugar or other granulated sweetener
1 c grain-sweetened nondairy chocolate or carob chips
1/4 c soy, rice, or nut milk
1/4 c chopped pecans, almonds, or peanuts

1. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. (Find out where to buy unbleached liners at ifyoucare.com.) Set the tin aside.

2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs, and maple sugar; mix well. Remove the mixture from the heat. Divide mixture evenly (about 2 tablespoons per cup) among the muffin cups.

3. Combine the chocolate and milk in another pan. Stir over medium heat until the chocolate has melted. Spoon the chocolate evenly over the peanut butter mixture. Top with chopped nuts. Place in the refrigerator to set for at least 2 hours before serving.

Makes 12.

The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide To Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving The Planet, by Alicia Silverstone, Rodale, 2009. Available wherever books are sold.



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